Announcements

The flowers on the altar are given by Lori Burrous: For my wonderful husband, Wes, in celebration of his birthday on March 28th and his retirement in April!

Tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 30, Quad Preaching Schedule
SUM - Pastor Gene Ott
Copper Hill UMC - Barry Kline
North Canton Community UMC - Sue Gannon

UMCOR Donations Still Being Accepted
The official date for UMCOR Sunday is tomorrow, March 30. However, we decided to recognize it on Mar. 2 since we were speaking about Disaster Relief on that Sunday. To date, we have raised $1,015.00. 100% of your donations given to UMCOR are directed toward on-the-ground relief and recovery efforts, allowing UMCOR to effectively respond to crises and provide assistance where it's needed most. There is still time to donate. Envelopes will be in the sanctuary until tomorrow, March 30. Thank you.

Easter Flowers
If you would like to contribute to the floral display of tulips, lilies, and hyacinths for Easter Sunday, please fill out the Easter Flower Order Form and send it to the office along with your check. Forms will be in the sanctuary and Wesley Hall, or you can print out a form here. All forms must be in to the office by Friday, April 4th. The cost is $15.00 per plant. Thank you.

Boy Scout Troop 174 Mulch Sale Fundraiser
Once again, the Boy Scouts will be selling mulch for $6 per bag (2 cubic feet). All orders and payments must be received by April 10 and will be confirmed by April 15 to allow processing time. The mulch will be delivered the weekend of April 26-27. If you are interested, please see the QR Code below for more information and to order/pay. Here is the flyer. Any questions, please contact John O’Neal.

Altar Flowers
If you would like to donate flowers for the altar on April 6 or 27, please contact Sandy Lipscomb.

Attention Gardeners!
Last year we started an “Adopt a Garden“ program where members volunteer to take care of a specific area on the church grounds for the summer. We still need some volunteers for a few gardens that didn’t get “adopted” last year. Please check the sign-up poster and sheet in Wesley Hall and sign up if you can help. There is also a general gardening volunteer list – you will get emails when we are working on the pollinator gardens or special projects. We appreciate all the help we can get. Contact Debbie Dunn for more details    

Eagle Scout Project
One of our scouts, Ben Pourkavoos, is working on his Eagle Scout Project. Ben will be putting together backpacks full of food, toiletries, and other necessities to give out to Torrington’s homeless. Monetary donations and basic personal item donations are both accepted and very much appreciated. Online donations can be paid to the troop via Venmo: @Simsbury-BSA-Troop-174. Please title the monetary donation “Ben’s Eagle Project.” Personal item donations can be dropped in the box on the stage in Wesley Hall. Here is the flyer. For questions, please contact John O’Neal. Thank you.

Urgent Need for Church School Volunteers
We urgently need volunteers to assist Elizabeth Webber with church school for just one hour on Sundays. Without additional help, we may be forced to cancel church school, which would be a great loss for our children. No experience or preparation is required—just a willingness to lend a hand. If we take turns, the commitment will be light and manageable. Please step up and help us keep this vital ministry alive—our children’s spiritual growth depends on it!

Lenten Studies
As always, there are a variety of choices in the typical day/time slots for Lent. Please click here to go to our website for complete descriptions and dates of each class as well as the link to register.

Mon. - 4:30 – 6 - Signs and Wonders by Amy Jill Levine
Tues. - 10:30 – 12 - The Long Road to Heaven: A Lent Course Based on the Film "The Way" by Rev Tim Heaton
Wed. - 5:30 – 6:30 - The Hardest Part: Hurt We Carry—Hope We Find by Kate Bowler
Thurs. - 10:30 – 12 - Words of Life by Adam Hamilton

Office Hours
SUM office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9–3. Deb Reid works remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays and will check emails and voicemail messages on those days.

Praying for the Entire SUM Family
Each week, we will publish five SUM directory entries to the Messenger so that you can add these people to your prayers. By the end of the year, we will have prayed for the entire SUM family. This week, please pray for the following: Shirley Crane, Katherine Crawford, the Crespo family (Eric, Molly Emott, Madalena, Isabella, and David), Stephanie & Emily Cummings, and the Cunningham family (Leslie, Rich, Ben, and Colin).

The Prayer Chain is Ready for Your Requests
The SUM reinvigorated Prayer Chain is ready for your requests. We have a dedicated team of Prayer Warriors who will receive them. To submit a prayer request, email our Prayer Warriors. Please let our Prayer Chain team know if the prayers are no longer needed by sending an update to the same email address.